Automatic air-coupling device.



A. B. FITZGERALD. AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING DEVICE. APPLlcATmN F1LED1UNE4,1914.

Patented. May 2, 1916.

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@XMIM mozo 5 THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRMN .60., WASHINGTON, D. C.

A. B. FITZGERALD. AUTOMATIC `AIR COUPLING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED IUNE 4,1914. 1,181355., Patented May 2,1916.

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.ALFRED B.v FITZGERALD, OF BLACKSTONE, VIRGINIA.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING DEVIGE.

' To all whom t may concern:

` supports for securing Be it known that 1, ALFRED B. FITZGER- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blackstone, in the county of Nottaway and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic Air-Coupling Devices, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in devices for coupling the air lines of a train and resides in the pro vision of a simple, `reliable and highly effective device that will automatically couple the air lines of cars so as to form continuous air lines, in` an expeditious manner.

An object of importance is to provide a device of the character described that will automatically open valves in the ends of the air lines of each car when the cars are coupled and close the valves when the cars are uncoupled. r y f Another object of importance is to provide a coupling device of the character described that is yieldingly held in extended operative position and is permitted lateral movement to prevent uneoupling of the device when the train is rounding a curve.

Another object is to provide a novel ar` rangement of guide arms that are carried fby the coupling means and coperate when the device is coupled to insure the proper connection ofthe air lines.`

My invention further aims to improvecoupling devices so as to render them more practical, reliable and eflieient in operation, inexpensive to manufacture and commerd cially desirable. y

rFhe above and additional objects are :1c-- complished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out as claimed. y

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views ofwhich similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved coupling device showing the same in coupled position and the the coupling devices to the cars in section, Fig. 2 isa horizontal sectional view` of` one of the coupling members constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the coupling members, Fig. L1 is a detail Specification of 'Letters Patent.

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Application filed J une 4, 1914. `Serial No. 242,917.

perspective view of a slightly modified form of coupling member to be employed in connection with a plurality of air lines instead of'a single line, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detailperspective view of the supporting bar for the coupling members, and Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrow,` and showing the rear end piece of the frame and the manner of connecting the rear end of the supporting bar thereto. Fig. 7 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 7`7 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing the front end piece, and the manner of connecting the squared end of the supporting bar thereto.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference the numerals 1 and 2 designate as entireties coupling members, each of the coupling members comprises an approximately rectangular head 3 carrying on one side forwardly extending arms L1- and 5 that l end is bent forwardly and upwardly as at 6. y

The arm 4 is lowermost and adjacent its outer end is bent downwardly and out-` wardly as at 7. 0n the other side of the body portion 3 is carried an arm 8 that eX- tends forwardly from the head 3 and is curved outwardly as at 9 at its outer end. The arms 8 on the coupling members land 2 are designed to fit between thearms Lland 5.

Connected with the rear faces of the coupling members 1 and 2 are supporting bars 10 that are tubular and extend through frames 11 carried by the cars beneath the usual car couplings. r1`he bars 10 are approximately rectangular as at 12 for distances equivalent to approximately half .their length and the rectangular portions 12 are disposed so as to slide through longitudinal slots 13 formed in the end pieces 14 of the frames 11 and have their free ends received by sockets 11 -11 carried by the rear faces of the coupling members. rFhe frames 11 comprise side bars 15 and integrally connected front and end pieces, designated respectively, by the numerals 14: and 16. rlhe bars 10 are slidable through suitable openings 10 formed in the rear end pieces 16 of the frames 11. A. plurality of supporting bars 17 are secured as at 18 `at their lower ends to the side bars 15 of the shown.

frame 11 and are suitably connected at their upper ends to the cars after a manner not Helical expansion springs 19 are mounted upon the bars 10 and at their ends engage stop pins 20 carried by the bars 10 and the inner faces of the end pieces 16 of the framesll. rIhe innermost ends of the bars 10 are suitably connected with the train line pipes, not shown.

Formed in each of the heads 3 of the coupling members is a U-shaped horizontal air passage 21 that communicates with the atmosphere at the forward face of each head 8. A tu-bular projection 22 tapered toward its outer end and preferably formed integral with the head k3 communicates with one end of theU-shaped air passage 21. A frusto conical enlarged opening 23 is formed atthe other end of each U-shaped passage. The tubular projections 22 fit snugly within the frusto conical openings 23, when the coupling members are in coupled position so as to form a continuous air line. A horizontal passage 24 is formed in each of the 'coupling heads 3 and at its rear or inner end communicates lwith the tubular bar 10. The passage 24 also communicates with the central part of the passage 21. Slidably mount ed within the `passage 24 is a cylindrical valve member 25 ,that is provided with a y transverse opening 26 intermediate its ends.

An integralvalve stem 27 extends through a small partition wall 28 that separates the passage 24 from an opening 29. The stem 27 extends into the opening 29 and at its outer end is provided with an enlarged head n 30 that projects outwardly for a distance equivalent to approximately two-thirds of its length. yThe projecting heads 30 are arranged to engage each other when the device is coupled so that the openings 26 in the valves y25 whichy are normally out of registration with the passage 21 are moved against the tension of expansion springs 31 arranged within the openings 29, to register with the passages 21. It will thus be seen that when the coupling members move into coupling engagement with each other, the valve is open Vand a continuous air line formed. The projections y22 lit within the enlarged frusto conical openings 23 and a comparatively tight joint is provided. The springs 19 serve tol hold the coupling mem- Ibers in extended posi-tion and in tight engagement with each other as the springs 19 are slightly compressed when the coupling mem-bers are in coupled position as illustrated in Fig. 1 in the drawings. The arms 4,5 and '8 serve to guide the coupling members when they are moved tow-ard each other and insure the positioning of the extensions 22 within the enlarged frustoconical openings "23. The springs 31 tend to automatically close the valves 25 when the coupling members are uncoupled.

. sages IVith reference to Fig. 4 wherein I have illustrated a modiiied form of my invention, the coupling head 3 is formed larger than in the preferred form and provided with a plurality of the tubular projections 22, valves 25, frusto conical openings 23, pas- 21 and tubular supporting bars 10. The series of projections and openings being arranged one above the other as shown in Fig. 4 in the drawings. The modified form is particularly designed for use on trains wherein a number of air lines are employed and as illustrated in the modified form three air lines may be controlled.

Vith reference to the foregoing description and accompanying drawings it will be readily seen that I have provided simple and reliable coupling means that is entirely automatic in operation, dispensing with the necessity of some member of the trains crew manually coupling the train line and thus saving time and obviating possibility of loss of life through accidents.

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most eiiicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor `changes in-details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificin g any of the advantages of my invention, as set forth.

`What is claimed is 1. An automatic air coupling device comprising co-acting coupling members, each of the coupling members comprising an enlarged head and a tubular supporting arm having one end connected to the head at a medial point, the said head having a U- shaped passage therein, the opposite ends of the sides of the U-shaped passage opening into the forward end of the head, and its arcuate portion communicating with the tubular support, and a. straight passage extending through and having one end opening into the head and located between and parallel with the sides of the U-shaped passage, and having its opposite end communieating with the arcuate portion of the U- shaped passage and the tubular support, a valve mounted within the straight passage and slidable across the arcuate portion of the U-shaped passage and into the tubular support, and adapted to control communication between the sides of the U-shaped passage and the tubular supporting arm.

2. In an automatic air coupling device, co-acting coupling members each having an air passage therethrough, tubular supporting bars for the coupling members, and communicating with the air passages, means for controlling the communication between the tubular members and the air passages, frame members each including diverging side bars and connecting end bars, one of the said end bars being arcuate in conguration and each of the said end bars having a. horizontal slot therein, adapted lto receive one of the tubular supporting bars, springs positioned Within the frame members and embracing the tubular supporting bers, and eni0 Homes of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

